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| Question 1118761:  What amount is accumulated after 3 years of P6,500 invested at a rate of 12% per year compounded semi annually.
 Answer by Theo(13342)
      (Show Source): 
You can put this solution on YOUR website! 12% compounded semi-annually would be equal to 12/2 = 6% per semi-annual period. 
 the formula for compound interest is f = p * (1 + r) ^ n.
 
 f is the future value
 p is the present value
 r is the interest rate per time period (months in this case).
 n is the number of time periods (months in this case).
 
 in your problem, p = 6500, r = .12/2 = .06 per semi-annual period, n = 3 * 2 = 6 semi-annual periods.
 
 the formula becomes 6500 = p * (1 + .06) ^ 6.
 
 solve for p to get p = 6500 / ((1 + .06) ^ 6)
 
 you get p = 4582.243513.
 
 6500 = 4582.243513 * (1 + .06) ^ 6 becomes 6500 = 6500, confirming the solution is correct.
 
 in these compounded interest rate calculations, if you are given the annual interest rate and the number of years, then:
 
 interest rate per time period = annual interest rate divided by number of compounding periods per year.
 
 number of time periods = number of years times number of compounding periods per year.
 
 in your problem, you spefied compounding semi-annually.
 
 that means 2 compounding periods per year.
 
 12% / 2 = 6% per semi-annual period.
 3 years * 2 = 6 semi-annual periods.
 
 in the formula, the interest rate percent is divided by 100 to get interest rate.
 
 12% per year is there .12 per year.
 divide that by 2 and you get an interest rate of .06 per semi-annual period.
 
 
 
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